The subject matter herein relates generally to electrical connectors that releasably mate to one another via latching mechanisms.
Electrical connectors provide communicative interfaces between electrical components to transmit power and/or signals therethrough. For example, the electrical connectors may be used within telecommunication equipment, servers, and data storage or transport devices. When two electrical connectors are mated together during operation, one or both of the connectors may experience twisting forces or axial forces that pull the connectors away from each other. Typical electrical connectors include latching mechanisms configured to maintain the two connectors in the mated position to retain the communicative pathway through the connectors.
However, the latching mechanisms of some electrical connectors are inadequate to prevent the twisting and axial pull forces from interfering with the integrity of the communicative pathway defined between the connectors. For example, the latching mechanism of some known connectors is centrally located along a width of the connector, and the connector is much wider than the latching mechanism. Such a latching mechanism may provide little resistance against twisting forces that cause the mating interface of the connector to pivot relative to the mating connector. For example, one lateral edge of the mating interface may move away from the mating connector and the opposite lateral edge of the mating interface may move towards the mating connector such that electrical contacts near the lateral edges may misalign with the corresponding electrical contacts of the mating connector. The tilting movement allowed by the centrally-located latching mechanism may reduce, if not block, the signal transmission performance between the connectors. Furthermore, such tilting movement may cause damage to the electrical contacts or other components of the connectors.
Accordingly, there is a need for an electrical connector that offers more stabilized coupling to a mating connector.